West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-04-22

months after Caperton's election.
The question is, whether Burdett
would have been nominated by q
Democratic convention after it be-
came known that be had accepted
this bride? If, after his nomination
and previous to the election, it was
discovered that he had accepted the
bribe-would the rank and file have
voted for him? Let Mr.. Camden's
managers answer these questions.
In the face of these facts is any one
so simple rs to believe that Mr..
Camden would be thought OF for the
Senate were be not supported by cor
porations like the Standard Oil Com
pany. Here then rs one charge
which we presume will be accepted
as proven.
2. 1t is charged that Mr.. Camden
voted against the Reagan Bill which
prohibited a greater charge for II
short than for longer distance.
This law had passed the House and
was defeated in the Senate;-Mr.
Camden voting against it.
In June 1885 the farmers Of Mon
roe county metin mass meeting and
here is the resolution they adopted:
Resolred: That we unnesitatingly eX
press our disapproval of Senator Cam
denis vote against the Reagan Bill
This charge is proven to the salts
faction of Monroe county farmers and
it is well known that neither Van
Pelt nor Rowan could have been
elected had they expressed apurpose
to support Camden.
1t is true, some three years after
wards he offered to amend the Cul-
lom bill by inserting the Reagan
prohibition, but he did not SHIFT his
sails until popular opinion became
too turbulent to be resisted. 1t is
common knowledge that the railroad
managers are making a desperate eff
fort to repeal this provision, and the
question is, whether it is not safer to
send to the Senate some one whose
views have always accorded with
the public interest and with the pop
ular heat on this most important
Issue?
3. 1t is charged that he organized
and, until within the last six weeks
was president of, the Camden Con-
solidated Oil Company. 1t is a
branch of the Standard Oil and be-
ing such is part and parcel of the
most dangerous monopoly this world
has ever seen.
Mr. Hudson pointed out in the
March North American Recie,c that
the Standard Oil Company had n
capital of one million dollars ten
years, ago and It's wealth has so increa
sed that to-day the market value gifts
securities represent the enormous
aggregate of $400,000,000. The Sc
cret contract between the Standard
Oil and the Railroads, has been ex-
posed and printed. The profits of
this contract, in reduced freight
charges alone, were ten million of
dollars in eighteen months, and this
contract enabled it to crush every
rival enterprise, We again print the
words of the contract:
all times cooperate with the Standard
Oil Company to maintain its business
against competition and the railroads
will raise or lower rates for such times
and TO such extent as may be necessary
to overcome competition with the Stand
ard Oil Company.
Is this charge proven? Is it safe
for Mr.. Camden to have the power
of a Senator? lie is as much inter
ested in the Standard Oil Company
rs any one who does not held a
larger amount Of its stock. His
brother-in-law, Thompson, of New
York, is one of its chief managers.
Why not make Gould Senator? Be
cause his associations and methods
are not in harmony with the inter
ests of the people. The associations
and methods of the Standard Oil
Company are even less in harmony
with the interests of the people.
4. It's charged that he in conjunc-
ton with urother representatives at
Washington, prostituted the Federal
patronage to build up in this State
an ofiice-holding hierarchy, ready to
sacrifice anything and everything to
accomplish his reelection to the
Senate
Is there a man in West Virginia
who pretends to intelligence that